5 Things to Know About Gymnast Nastia Liukin

Nastia Liukin
Nastia Liukin on the uneven bars at the 2005 World Championships. © 2008 Steve Lange

Nastia Liukin was the 2008 Olympic all-around champion. She also won four national all-around titles and nine World Championship medals. In October of 2011, Liukin announced she was making a comeback, in hopes of being named to the 2012 Olympic gymnastics team. She competed at the 2012 Olympic Trials, but wasn't named to the team, and has since retired from the sport.

Gymnastics was a family affair for her.

Liukin’s father, Valeri, was on the Soviet team that won gold in 1988. He also won a gold on the high bar and silvers in the all-around and parallel bars. Liukin’s mother, Anna, was the 1987 world champion in clubs in rhythmic gymnastics. Valeri coached Nastia during her gymnastics career at the gym they own called WOGA, in Plano, Texas.

Her gymnastics accomplishments make her one of the top American gymnasts ever.

  • Liukin won five medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics: gold in the all-around, silvers on bars and beam, and bronze on floor. This total ties Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Miller for the most medals won by an American gymnast in a single Games.
  • Liukin is tied with Shannon Miller for the third-highest number of world medals won by an American. Alicia Sacramone has 10, and Simone Biles has an incredible 14.
  • She won four straight national all-around titles from 2003-2006 (two as a senior and two in the junior division).
  • Liukin won the uneven bars title at US nationals from 2003-2008, earned three world medals on the event (gold in 2005; silver in 2006 and 2007), and won the Olympic silver medal in a controversial tie-breaker.
  • She placed second all-around to US teammate Chellsie Memmel at the 2005 World Championships by the smallest margin possible (.001).

She did some very cool skills.

Liukin was well known for her balletic style and gorgeous long lines, but she did plenty of difficult tricks as well. During her career, Liukin performed an Ono-half on uneven bars, a double front on floor, and a front aerial to Arabesque on beam. She’s also attempted a quadruple twist on floor.

She's been a successful businesswoman as well.

Liukin was highlighted in an Adidas commercial during the 2004 Olympics and appeared in an AT&T commercial with Deion Sanders in 2007. She also starred in two more commercials in 2008: for AT&T and for Visa. She played a cameo in the 2006 gymnastics movie Stick It, and has two clothing lines: "Nastia Gold" and Supergirl. In 2010, The Nastia Liukin Cup became an annual competition held in conjunction with the American Cup.

She loves sushi.

Liukin was born on October 30, 1989 in Moscow, Russia -- her parents moved to Texas when she was two. Her full first name is Anastasia, but she goes by Nastia.
Liukin’s Favorites:

  • Food: sushi
  • Stores: Nordstrom, Juicy Couture and Forever 21
  • Activities: swimming & shopping
  • Color: pink
  • Motto: “Never give up”

Liukin's Gymnastics Results:

International:

  • 2008 Olympics: 2nd team; 1st all-around; 2nd bars; 2nd beam; 3rd floor
  • 2008 Pacific Rim Championships: 1st team; 1st all-around; 2nd bars (tie); 1st beam; 4th floor (tie)
  • 2008 Tyson American Cup: 1st all-around; 1st bars; 2nd beam; 2nd floor
  • 2007 World Championships: 1st team; 5th all-around; 2nd bars; 1st beam
  • 2007 Pan American Games: 1st team; 2nd bars; 2nd beam
  • 2006 World Championships: 2nd team; 2nd bars
  • 2006 Pacific Alliance Championships: 1st team; 1st all-around (tie); 1st bars; 2nd beam
  • 2006 Tyson American Cup: 1st all-around; 1st bars; 2nd beam; 1st floor
  • 2005 World Championships: 2nd all-around; 1st bars; 1st beam; 2nd floor
  • 2005 American Cup: 1st beam (tie)
  • 2003 Pan American Games: 1st team; 2nd all-around; 3rd bars; 1st beam; 3rd floor

National:

  • 2012 US Olympic Trials: 7th beam
  • 2012 Visa Championships (US nationals): 6th beam
  • 2012 US Classic: 3rd beam (tie)
  • 2009 US Nationals: 4th beam
  • 2008 US Olympic Trials: 2nd all-around; 1st bars; 3rd beam; 2nd floor (tie)
  • 2008 Visa Championships (US Nationals): 2nd all-around; 1st bars; 1st beam
  • 2007 Visa Championships (US nationals): 3rd all-around; 1st bars; 2nd beam
  • 2006 Visa Championships (US nationals): 1st all-around; 1st bars; 1st beam
  • 2006 US Classic: 1st beam
  • 2005 Visa Championships (US nationals): 1st all-around; 1st bars; 1st beam; 2nd floor
  • 2005 US Classic: 1st all-around; 1st bars; 1st beam; 2nd floor
  • 2004 Visa Championships (US nationals - Jr. Division): 1st all-around; 1st bars; 1st beam; 1st floor
  • 2003 US Nationals (Jr. Division): 1st all-around; 1st bars; 1st beam; 1st floor